Own your (solar) power
Photo: Future West Solar
The Okanagan is the perfect place for residential solar power.
Ross Buchanan wants everyone to understand one simple truth: solar energy thrives in Kelowna.
“In fact, when we compare (sun exposure) to other markets, Kelowna is really, really good,” Buchanan emphasizes. As the president of Future West Solar, he tackles myths about solar energy on a daily basis in the Okanagan.
“People think because inversion creates so many cloudy days in the winter, there is no point in getting solar power for their home,” Buchanan says. “But there are two simple answers for that. First, you’re not off grid, so it doesn’t have to replace your entire electricity bill for the whole year. It’s OK if you pay $20 or $50 a month a couple months of the year.
“And secondly, in Kelowna we often get rid of 100 percent of people’s electricity bills.” This is possible because Kelowna experiences ample sunlight from spring through fall, allowing solar power customers to store excess energy for winter use.
“That extra power gets stored away and they have a credit on their account, so that when they get into the winter when we don’t get as much sun, they’re still not paying a bill,” he says. “It’s called net metering.
“It should be noted not every company can deliver like Future West Solar,” Buchanan says proudly.
Future West Solar, with locations in Kelowna, Chilliwack and expanding across B.C., boasts more than 30 employees and a commitment to quality service.
“Take our solar energy quiz to know that solar is going to be a good fit for your home,” he says.
If you’re interested in solar energy, Future West will come to your house to go over everything, explain how solar works and hand deliver a detailed proposal. If you decide to go solar, Future West employs a team of project managers, master electricians, installers and more that all work within strict guidelines to make sure they deliver best in class at every turn.
Future West Solar invests in top-of-the-line software for precise system design.
“Our software uses 3D modelling,” Buchanan says. “We actually scale the model to the exact height of the house. We make sure we have the pitch right, because our system uses LiDar (light detection and ranging). We actually have lasers from space telling us how tall the house is and what the pitch is, and we can even show them exactly how much sun their roof will get at any hour, on any day, of any month of the year. Even trees and mountains are taken into account.”
Future West Solar is well versed in government programs and will make the process simple, allowing you to take the government up on a loan of up to $40,000 with 0% interest over 10 years.
“We’re not asking people to buy anything, or to spend more money,” Buchanan says. “We’re just asking them to get rid of their electricity bill and own their power with solar, which means investing in an asset that’s going to be on their home for a long time and increase the home value. Most times it’s around the same price as they already pay for electricity.”
For more information about Future West Solar,visit its newly designed website.
This article is written by or on behalf of the sponsoring client and does not necessarily reflect the views of Okanagan Edge.
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